ain't

[eynt]

1. Nonstandard except in some dialects.,  contraction of am not; are not; is not.

2. Nonstandard.,  contraction of have not; has not; do not; does not; did not.

ain't

/ eɪnt /

contraction

1. am not, is not, are not, have not, or has not

   I ain't seen it

Usage

As a substitute for am not, is not, and are not in declarative sentences, ain't is more common in uneducated speech than in educated, but it occurs with some frequency in the informal speech of the educated, especially in the southern and south-central states. This is especially true of the interrogative use of ain't I? as a substitute for the formal and—to some—stilted am I not? or for aren't I?, considered by some to be ungrammatical, or for the awkward—and rare in American speech— amn't I? Some speakers avoid any of the preceding forms by substituting Isn't that so ( true, the case ) ? Ain't occurs in humorous or set phrases: Ain't it the truth! She ain't what she used to be. It ain't funny. The word is also used for emphasis: That just ain't so! It does not appear in formal writing except for deliberate effect in such phrases or to represent speech. As a substitute for have not or has not and—occasionally in Southern speech— do not, does not, and did not, it is nonstandard except in similar humorous uses: You ain't heard nothin' yet! See also aren't.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ain't¹

First recorded in 1770–80; variant of amn't (contraction of am not ) by loss of m and raising with compensatory lengthening of a; aren't

Example Sentences

“Ya know, life ain’t easy for us pigeons. We only live a few years out here, if we’re lucky. But we were especially sad when we lost Graybeak. She was one of the best.”

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For now, the recommended strategy is that “AI equity leadership ain’t budging for the time being.”

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I was like, “Well, honey, I take care of my family, and I ain’t come from no money.”

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I ain’t dropping out,” Sliwa said.

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Stephanie Ruhle, the first network host to flag the donation last week, told viewers, “Corporations are paying for it. Comcast, our Comcast, is one of those that are underwriting this. Shouldn’t that be more concerning to the American people? Because there ain’t no company out there writing a check just for goodwill.”

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